The busy Ohio River freight corridor along West Virginia’s northern panhandle paused on April 26 to make way for barges transporting a 830-ft tied-arch bridge span that will form the signature element of a new $131-million crossing between Wellsburg, W. Va., and Brilliant, Ohio.
Flatiron Construction Corp., lead contractor for the project, oversaw assembly of span segments and approach girders at an offsite riverside location. Placed atop a hydraulic jacking beam system, the 4,100-ton structure was floated one mile to the project site, where it was lifted and secured atop concrete piers approximately 80 ft above the river. The transport and preliminary installation process was completed in approximately 13 hours.